Ladder Geometry Research Articles

Two-leg ladder systems with dipole–dipole Fermion interactions

The ground-state phase diagram of a two-leg fermionic dipolar ladder with inter-site interactions is studied using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) techniques. We use a state-of-the-art implementation of the DMRG algorithm and finite size scaling to simulate large system sizes with high accuracy. We also consider two different model systems and explore stable phases in half and quarter filling factors. We find that in the half filling, the charge and spin gaps emerge in a finite value of the dipole–dipole and on-site interactions. In the quarter filling case, s-wave superconducting state, charge density wave, homogenous insulating and phase separation phases occur depend on the interaction values. Moreover, in the dipole–dipole interaction, the D-Mott phase emerges when the hopping terms along the chain and rung are the same, whereas, this phase has been only proposed for the anisotropic Hubbard model. In the half filling case, on the other hand, there is either charge-density wave or charged Mott order phase depends on the orientation of the dipole moments of the particles with respect to the ladder geometry.

Ising versus SU(2)2 string-net ladder

We consider the string-net model obtained from $SU(2)_2$ fusion rules. These fusion rules are shared by two different sets of anyon theories. In this work, we study the competition between the two corresponding non-Abelian quantum phases in the ladder geometry. A detailed symmetry analysis shows that the nontrivial low-energy sector corresponds to the transverse-field cluster model that displays a critical point described by the $so(2)_1$ conformal field theory. Other sectors are obtained by freezing spins in this model.

Quantum phases of strongly interacting bosons on a two-leg Haldane ladder

We study the ground-state physics of a single-component Haldane model on a hexagonal two-leg ladder geometry with a particular focus on strongly interacting bosonic particles. We concentrate our analysis on the regime of less than one particle per unit-cell. As a main result, we observe several Meissner-like and vortex-fluid phases both for a superfluid as well as a Mott-insulating background. Furthermore, we show that for strongly interacting bosonic particles an unconventional vortex-lattice phase emerges, which is stable even in the regime of hardcore bosons. We discuss the mechanism for its stabilization for finite interactions by a means of an analytical approximation. We show how the different phases may be discerned by measuring the nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor chiral currents as well as their characteristic momentum distributions.

Anyonic self-induced disorder in a stabilizer code: Quasi many-body localization in a translational invariant model

We enquire into the quasi-many-body localization in topologically ordered states of matter, revolving around the case of Kitaev toric code on ladder geometry, where different types of anyonic defects carry different masses induced by environmental errors. Our study verifies that random arrangement of anyons generates a complex energy landscape solely through braiding statistics, which suffices to suppress the diffusion of defects in such multi-component anyonic liquid. This non-ergodic dynamic suggests a promising scenario for investigation of quasi-many-body localization. Computing standard diagnostics evidences that, in such disorder-free many-body system, a typical initial inhomogeneity of anyons gives birth to a glassy dynamics with an exponentially diverging time scale of the full relaxation. A by-product of this dynamical effect is manifested by the slow growth of entanglement entropy, with characteristic time scales bearing resemblance to those of inhomogeneity relaxation. This setting provides a new platform which paves the way toward impeding logical errors by self-localization of anyons in a generic, high energy state, originated in their exotic statistics.

Topological phases in frustrated synthetic ladders with an odd number of legs

The realization of the Hofstadter model in a strongly anisotropic ladder geometry has now become possible in one-dimensional optical lattices with a synthetic dimension. In this work, we show how the Hofstadter Hamiltonian in such ladder configurations hosts a topological phase of matter which is radically different from its two-dimensional counterpart. This topological phase stems directly from the hybrid nature of the ladder geometry, and is protected by a properly defined inversion symmetry. We start our analysis considering the paradigmatic case of a three-leg ladder which supports a topological phase exhibiting the typical features of topological states in one dimension: robust fermionic edge modes, a degenerate entanglement spectrum and a non-zero Zak phase; then, we generalize our findings - addressable in the state-of-the-art cold atom experiments - to ladders with an higher number of legs.

Signatures of pairing in the magnetic excitation spectrum of strongly correlated two-leg ladders

Magnetic interactions are widely believed to play a crucial role in the microscopic mechanism leading to high critical temperature superconductivity. It is therefore important to study the signatures of pairing in the magnetic excitation spectrum of simple models known to show unconventional superconducting tendencies. Using the Density Matrix Renormalization Group technique, we calculate the dynamical spin structure factor $S({\bf k},\omega)$ of a generalized $t-U-J$ Hubbard model away from half-filling in a two-leg ladder geometry. The addition of $J$ enhances pairing tendencies. We analyze quantitatively the signatures of pairing in the magnetic excitation spectra. We found that the superconducting pair-correlation strength, that can be estimated independently from ground state properties, is closely correlated with the integrated low-energy magnetic spectral weight in the vicinity of $(\pi,\pi)$. In this wave-vector region, robust spin incommensurate features develop with increasing doping. The branch of the spectrum with rung direction wave-vector $k_{rung}=0$ does not change substantially with doping where pairing dominates, and thus plays a minor role. We discuss the implications of our results for neutron scattering experiments, where the spin excitation dynamics of hole-doped quasi-one dimensional magnetic materials can be measured, and also address implications for recent resonant inelastic X-ray scattering experiments.

Efficiency of fermionic quantum distillation

We present a time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group investigation of the quantum distillation process within the Fermi--Hubbard model on a quasi-1D ladder geometry. The term distillation refers to the dynamical, spatial separation of singlons and doublons in the sudden expansion of interacting particles in an optical lattice, i.e., the release of a cloud of atoms from a trapping potential. Remarkably, quantum distillation can lead to a contraction of the doublon cloud, resulting in an increased density of the doublons in the core region compared to the initial state. As a main result, we show that this phenomenon is not limited to chains that were previously studied. Interestingly, there are additional dynamical processes on the two-leg ladder such as density oscillations and selftrapping of defects that lead to a less efficient distillation process. An investigation of the time evolution starting from product states provides an explanation for this behaviour. Initial product states are also considered, since in optical lattice experiments such states are often used as the initial setup. We propose configurations that lead to a fast and efficient quantum distillation.

Loops and Strings in a Superconducting Lattice Gauge Simulator.

We propose an architecture for an analog quantum simulator of electromagnetism in 2+1 dimensions, based on an array of superconducting fluxonium devices. The encoding is in the integer (spin-1) representation of the quantum link model formulation of compact U(1) lattice gauge theory. We show how to engineer Gauss' law via an ancilla mediated gadget construction, and how to tune between the strongly coupled and intermediately coupled regimes. The witnesses to the existence of the predicted confining phase of the model are provided by nonlocal order parameters from Wilson loops and disorder parameters from 't Hooft strings. We show how to construct such operators in this model and how to measure them nondestructively via dispersive coupling of the fluxonium islands to a microwave cavity mode. Numerical evidence is found for the existence of the confined phase in the ground state of the simulation Hamiltonian on a ladder geometry.

Magnetic excitation spectra of strongly correlated quasi-one-dimensional systems: Heisenberg versus Hubbard-like behavior

We study the effects of charge degrees of freedom on the spin excitation dynamics in quasi-one dimensional magnetic materials. Using the density matrix renormalization group method, we calculate the dynamical spin structure factor of the Hubbard model at half electronic filling on a chain and on a ladder geometry, and compare the results with those obtained using the Heisenberg model, where charge degrees of freedom are considered frozen. For both chains and two-leg ladders, we find that the Hubbard model spectrum qualitatively resembles the Heisenberg spectrum -- with low-energy peaks resembling spinonic excitations -- already at intermediate on-site repulsion as small as $U/t \sim 2-3$, although ratios of peak intensities at different momenta continue evolving with increasing $U/t$ converging only slowly to the Heisenberg limit. We discuss the implications of these results for neutron scattering experiments and we propose criteria to establish the values of $U/t$ of quasi-one dimensional systems described by one-orbital Hubbard models from experimental information.

Bound states in string nets

We discuss the emergence of bound states in the low-energy spectrum of the string-net Hamiltonian in the presence of a string tension. In the ladder geometry, we show that a single bound state arises either for a finite tension or in the zero-tension limit depending on the theory considered. In the latter case, we perturbatively compute the binding energy as a function of the total quantum dimension. We also address this issue in the honeycomb lattice where the number of bound states in the topological phase depends on the total quantum dimension. Finally, the internal structure of these bound states is analyzed in the zero-tension limit.

Dissipative time evolution of a chiral state after a quantum quench

We investigate the dynamics of fermionic atoms in a high-finesse optical resonator after a sudden switch on of the coupling between the atoms and the cavity. The atoms are additionally confined by optical lattices to a ladder geometry. The tunneling mechanism on a rung of a ladder is induced by a cavity assisted Raman process. At long times after the quantum quench the arising steady state can carry a chiral current. In this work we employ exact diagonalization techniques on small system sizes to study the dissipative attractor dynamics after the quench towards the steady state and deviations of the properties of the steady state from predictions obtained by adiabatically eliminating the cavity mode.

Matter-wave propagation in optical lattices: geometrical and flat-band effects

The geometry of optical lattices can be engineered, allowing the study of atomic transport along paths arranged in patterns that are otherwise difficult to probe in the solid state. A question feasible to atomic systems is related to the speed of matter-wave propagation as a function of the lattice geometry. To address this issue, we investigated, theoretically, the quantum transport of noninteracting and weakly-interacting ultracold fermionic atoms in several 2D optical lattice geometries. We find that the triangular lattice has a higher propagation velocity compared to the square lattice, and the cross-linked square lattice has an even faster propagation velocity. The increase results from the mixing of the momentum states which leads to different group velocities in quantum systems. Standard band theory provides an explanation and allows for a systematic way to search and design systems with controllable matter-wave propagation. Moreover, the presence of a flat band such as in a two-leg ladder geometry leads to a dynamical density discontinuity due to its localized atoms. Possible realizations of those dynamical phenomena are discussed.

Bose-Hubbard ladder subject to effective magnetic field: Quench dynamics in a harmonic trap

Motivated by a recent experiment with optical lattices that has realized a ladder geometry with an effective magnetic field (Atala et al., Nature Physics \textbf{10}, 588 (2014)), we study the dynamics of bosons on a tight-binding two-leg ladder with complex hopping amplitudes. This system displays a quantum phase transition even without interactions. We study the non-equilibrium dynamics without and with interactions, in the presence of a harmonic trapping potential. In particular we consider dynamics induced by quenches of the trapping potential and of the magnitude of the rung hopping. We present a striking "slowing down" effect in the collective mode dynamics near the phase transition. This manifestation of a slowing down phenomenon near a quantum phase transition can be visualized unusually directly: the collective mode dynamics can be followed experimentally in real time and real space by imaging the atomic cloud.

Vortex and Meissner phases of strongly interacting bosons on a two-leg ladder

We establish the phase diagram of the strongly-interacting Bose-Hubbard model defined on a two-leg ladder geometry in the presence of a homogeneous flux. Our work is motivated by a recent experiment [Atala et al., Nature Phys. 10, 588 (2014)], which studied the same system, in the complementary regime of weak interactions. Based on extensive density matrix renormalization group simulations and a bosonization analysis, we fully explore the parameter space spanned by filling, inter-leg tunneling, and flux. As a main result, we demonstrate the existence of gapless and gapped Meissner and vortex phases, with the gapped states emerging in Mott-insulating regimes. We calculate experimentally accessible observables such as chiral currents and vortex patterns.

BaFe(2)Se(3) a high T(C) magnetic multiferroic with large ferrielectric polarization.

The iron selenides are important because of their superconducting properties. Here, an unexpected phenomenon is predicted to occur in an iron-selenide compound with a quasi-one-dimensional ladder geometry: BaFe(2)Se(3) should be a magnetic ferrielectric system, driven by its magnetic block order via exchange striction. A robust performance (high T(C) and large polarization) is expected. Different from most multiferroics, BaFe(2)Se(3) is ferrielectric, with a polarization that mostly cancels between ladders. However, its strong magnetostriction still produces a net polarization that is large (∼0.1 μC/cm(2)) as compared with most magnetic multiferroics. Its fully ferroelectric state, with energy only slightly higher than the ferrielectric, has a giant improper polarization ∼2-3 μC/cm(2).

Magnetism and its interplay with lattice in the iron-based ladder compounds

Since the discovery, research on iron-based superconductivity (SC) has become one of the main streams in condensed matter physics [1]. The interplay between structure, magnetism and SC is one of most intriguing subjects of this field. The common structural feature is the presence of square planar sheets of Fe atoms coordinated tetrahedrally by pnictogens or chalcogens. They have been, at the early stage, realized in the ZrCuSiAs (1111), ThCr2Si2 (122), anti-PbO (11) and Cu2Sb (111) structures. To gain further insight into the mechanism of the SC and variation of magnetic orders, investigation of Fe-based compounds with a separate spatial dimension is important. This is because the dimensionality should influence magnetism and can control itinerancy of electrons by changing Fermi surface topology. As spin ladders in copper oxides shed a new light on the mechanism of SC, a study on an analogue with ladder geometry among Fe-based compounds is highly desired. Here we report our recent studies of iron-based ladder compounds AFe2X3 (A = K, Rb, Cs, Ba; X = S, Se, Te) [2,3]. Crystal structure is novel, comprising of FeX4 tetrahedra with channels which host A atoms, and four-fold coordinated Fe2+ ions form two-leg ladder geometry. Unlike most of parent compounds of the Fe-based SCs, the ladder compounds are insulating down to the lowest measured temperature. Through bulk properties and neutron diffraction measurements, a variety of magnetic structures and low dimensional characteristics were elucidated. These would provide a clue of the SC realized in a separate dimension systems. The description of theory that accounts for the observed magnetic structures will be also presented.

Matrix product states for anyonic systems and efficient simulation of dynamics

Matrix product states (MPS) have proven to be a very successful tool to study lattice systems with local degrees of freedom such as spins or bosons. Topologically ordered systems can support anyonic particles which are labeled by conserved topological charges and collectively carry nonlocal degrees of freedom. In this paper we extend the formalism of MPS to lattice systems of anyons. The anyonic MPS is constructed from tensors that explicitly conserve topological charge. We describe how to adapt the time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) algorithm to the anyonic MPS in order to simulate dynamics under a local and charge-conserving Hamiltonian. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the anyonic TEBD algorithm, we used it to simulate (i) the ground state (using imaginary time evolution) of an infinite one dimensional critical system of (a) Ising anyons and (b) Fibonacci anyons, both of which are well studied, and (ii) the real time dynamics of an anyonic Hubbard-like model of a single Ising anyon hopping on a ladder geometry with an anyonic flux threading each island of the ladder. Our results pertaining to (ii) give insight into the transport properties of anyons. The anyonic MPS formalism can be readily adapted to study systems with conserved symmetry charges, as this is equivalent to a specialization of the more general anyonic case.

Charge Excitations in Two-Leg Ladders: A tDMRG Approach

We study the dynamics of holon–doublon pairs in two-leg Hubbard ladders with the time-dependent Density Matrix Renormalization-Group approach. Benchmark results show that the Krylov algorithm is well suited to calculate the time dependence of observables in these systems. Furthermore, we show that the dynamics of the holon–doublon depend strongly on the coupling asymmetry within the ladder, indicating that the ladder geometry plays a role in the decay of these elementary charge excitations.

Trimer Liquids and Crystals of Polar Molecules in Coupled Wires

We investigate pairing and crystalline instabilities of bosonic and fermionic polar molecules confined to a ladder geometry. Combining analytical and numerical techniques, we show that gases of composite molecular dimers as well as trimers can be stabilized as a function of the density difference between the wires. A shallow optical lattice can pin both liquids, realizing crystals of composite bosons and fermions. We show that these exotic quantum phases are robust against conditions of confinement of the molecular gas to harmonic finite-size potentials.

Phase diagram of hard-core bosons on clean and disordered two-leg ladders: Mott insulator–Luttinger liquid–Bose glass

One-dimensional free fermions and hard-core bosons are often considered to be equivalent. Indeed, when restricted to nearest-neighbor hopping on a chain, the particles cannot exchange themselves, and therefore hardly experience their own statistics. Apart from the off-diagonal correlations which depend on the so-called Jordan-Wigner string, real-space observables are similar for free fermions and hard-core bosons on a chain. Interestingly, by coupling only two chains, thus forming a two-leg ladder, particle exchange becomes allowed and leads to a totally different physics between free fermions and hard-core bosons. Using a combination of analytical (strong coupling, field theory, renormalization group) and numerical (quantum Monte Carlo, density-matrix renormalization group) approaches, we study the apparently simple but nontrivial model of hard-core bosons hopping in a two-leg ladder geometry. At half filling, while a band insulator appears for fermions at large interchain hopping ${t}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}>2t$ only, a Mott gap opens up for bosons as soon as ${t}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\ne}0$ through a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. Away from half filling, the situation is even more interesting since a gapless Luttinger liquid mode emerges in the symmetric sector with a nontrivial filling-dependent Luttinger parameter $1/2\ensuremath{\leqslant}{K}_{s}\ensuremath{\leqslant}1$. Consequences for experiments in cold atoms and spin ladders in a magnetic field, as well as disorder effects, are discussed. In particular, a quantum phase transition is expected at finite disorder strength between a one-dimensional superfluid and an insulating Bose glass phase.